Meili Snow Mountain

Introduction

Meili Snow Mountain has long been famous for its main peak, Kang Karpo Peak, which has an elevation of 6,470 meters (21,221 feet) above sea level and is the highest peak in Yunnan. Surrounded by 13 lesser peaks, the subject of an enchanting tale, Kang Karpo Peak (which means "White Snow Mountain" in Tibetan) is extolled as the "most beautiful mountain in the world."

The four seasons in the snow-capped Meili are distinctly different. Between the foot and the summit are several plant distribution systems that transition from the tropical zone to the northern frigid zone. Above the snowline, there are steep snow-capped peaks encircled by clouds and mist, but below it are evergreen vegetation and flowers in full bloom.

The Meili Snow Mountains connect with Mount Adongeni of Tibet to the north and with Biluo Snow Mountain to the south. Thirteen peaks on Meili are more than 6000 meters above sea level, and are called Prince 13 peaks. Mount Kang Karpo, the main peak and the highest in Yunnan Province, is 6740 meters above sea level. It is a holy place of pilgrimage for Tibetan Buddhists and the first of the eight great divine mountains in the Tibetan region. To local Tibetans, Mount Kang Karbo is the residence of their guardian deity and they believe that once the mountain is scaled by man, that God will leave, and without the God's blessing, disasters will happen. In the 1930s, the American scholar Rock advanced into the Meili Mountains and was attracted by the enchanting beauty of Mount Kang Karbo, describing it as the and most best beautiful snow mountain in the world.

In later autumn and early winter every year, pilgrims from Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu travel hundreds of kilometers to pay homage to the sacred mountain. They prostrate their way around the holy mountain for one to two weeks. The local residents call this "circumambulation." Each Goat year in the Tibetan Calendar, the number of "circumambulators" increases a hundredfold.